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Cannabis oil options for a nice, slow burn

Published on November 13, 2018 by David Trifunov

If you’re looking for a slow burn, skip the spark and try the oil.

Sure, you might also be skipping out on some of the fun — the ceremony and traditions of your vape or bong — but if you want your buzz to linger for hours, it might be your best bet.

Cannabis oil is also your only other option after dried bud when buying legal weed in B.C.

If you’re of a certain vintage, you might call it hash oil.

But the effects are likely the same: a concentrated, odourless oil that takes some time to settle into your system, but then gets cozy and decides to stay a while.

Most oils offer a ratio right up front, numbers such as 1:2 to 5:1. The first number is THC, while the second is CBD.

So, the higher the first number, the higher you’ll get. More CBD is more therapeutic effects said to help with fatigue, pain or anxiety.

If you’re new to all this, start with “low and go slow,” as all the experts say. Irisa Cannabis suggests .25 ml (or a quarter of a dropper) under the tongue.

Most commercial drops are sold using medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil; it’s a safe, neutral oil used in the food industry that doesn’t spoil like olive or grapeseed.

Here are some of the cannabis oils available from BC Cannabis Stores.

Solei by Aphira ($)

The Ontario-based producer launched its Solei brand of pot products for the newbies or nearly newbies. Rather than rely on numbers to decipher, Solei offers you “feelings” in a bottle. Gather promises you the chance to “rediscover the real meaning of group chat” through it’s THC-leaning sativa oil. Oh, and it tastes like lemon-lime! A bargain at $30 for 15 ml.

Whistler Cannabis Co. ($$$)

And the award for most creative names in the oil category goes to… Armchair, Blueberry Lambsbread, Brandywine and Nuken oils are for sale in B.C. We love a good Blueberry Lambsbread around Easter time, don’t you? Whistler’s oils are all about $59 and arrive in 15 ml bottles. If you love your cannabis crafty and organic, you can learn the precise breakdown of your cannabinoids on the Whistler website. Whistler bills itself as Canada’s only organic cannabis producer.

Irisa by High Park ($$)

Sun, Stars, Moon and Earth from Irisa are probably as hippy as you’ll find in oils, and that’s saying something. With Sun (1:5), you “harness the power of the sun’s rays” for a little “pep in your step” before yoga class. You “stabilize and harmonize” with Earth (1:2) with “clarity and tranquility” thrown in for good measure. Moon (5:1) will relax you. If you enjoy your cannabis oil topically, you might find Stars (3:2) mamma’s little helper in the bedroom. It also comes as a massage oil (although that’s not for sale in B.C.). Irisa’s 30 ml bottles range in price from $33 to $49 (Sun).

Hexo ($$$)

OK, so we lied about oils being the only other option. You can also fork out $77 for the Elixir THC oil spray or the $65 Elixir 1:1 spray (when it’s in stock). They’re peppermint! And Kosher! Hydroapothocary promises 150 sprays per bottle, “No oral syringe or dropper required.” Elixir THC flirts with the highest concentrations of THC allowable at 25-30 mg/ml.

Cove by Peace Naturals Project ($$)

We thought Peace Naturals Project might have played at Woodstock, but we know PNP’s Cove Cannabis is born and bred right here in the Okanagan. It’s selling Rest (indica dominant; relaxed, calm, winding down), Rise (sativa; energizing, clear headed, active) and Reflect (hybrid; social, happy, feeling good) in 20 ml bottles for $49. Coming soon are Revive and Restore. Top marks for continuity on the strain names, but we wonder how easy they’ll be to remember. “I think it started with an ‘R’…”